About the hotel
Built in 1923, the Copacabana Palace effectively invented Rio's beach-glamour era — the white wedding-cake façade on the then-empty Copacabana sands drew the international set south and made the neighbourhood a global byword. A century on it remains South America's most storied hotel, its centenary celebrated in 2023 as a national event.
"Flying Down to Rio" (1933) — the film that first paired Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — was staged on Hollywood recreations of the hotel, fixing it in cinema history before most of its guests had ever seen Brazil.
Suites & dining
The sixth-floor penthouse suites, each named for a legend who stayed below, surround the terrace where Rio society still gathers; the semi-Olympic pool is the city's most exclusive patch of water. Cipriani (Venetian fine dining) and Pérgula by the pool anchor the food; the Copacabana's Carnival ball is Brazil's single hottest ticket.
The celebrity connection
The guest book runs from Marlene Dietrich, Orson Welles and Walt Disney to Princess Diana, Madonna and Mick Jagger — the Rolling Stones stayed here when they played to a million-plus crowd on the beach outside in 2006. Justin Bieber, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have all made it their Rio base; when the hotel turned 100, the city threw the party.
Location
Avenida Atlântica, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
Worth knowing
- ★Astaire and Rogers were first paired in "Flying Down to Rio" (1933), set at the hotel.
- ★The Stones' 2006 Copacabana beach concert — audience estimated over a million — was run from here.
- ★Its Carnival Magic Ball has been Brazil's society event since 1924.
- ★Centenary in 2023 marked with a city-wide celebration.
Questions & answers
How did the Copacabana Palace shape Rio?+
Built in 1923 on then-empty sands, it drew the international set south and made Copacabana a global byword — its centenary in 2023 was celebrated as a city event.
What is its Hollywood connection?+
"Flying Down to Rio" (1933) — the film that first paired Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — was staged on Hollywood recreations of the hotel.
Which modern stars have stayed?+
Princess Diana, Madonna and Mick Jagger among many — the Rolling Stones ran their million-crowd 2006 Copacabana beach concert from the hotel, and its Carnival ball remains Brazil's hottest ticket.
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